Adjustable and reclining chair.



No. 786,308. PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

A.. J. NUSS] ADJUSTABLE AND REGLINING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.).5, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

31 mentor,

' witnesses No. "786,308. PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

' A.J.NUSS.

ADJUSTABLE AND REOLI NING CHAIR APPLICATION FILED DEO.15, m4.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A Home PATENTED APR. 4, 1905. A. J. NUSS. I

ADJUSTABLE AND REGLINING CHAIR.

. APPLICATION FILED DEO.15, 1904.

a sums-sum 3/ WITNESSES 11v VENTOQR Atlorney UNITED STATES Patented April 4, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE AND RECLINING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,308, dated April 4, 1905. Application filed December 15, 1904. Serial No. 286,931.

To all whom, it vim/y concern:

Be it known that LADoLPH J. NUss, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Villiamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable and Reclining Chairs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has relation to that class of adjustable and reclining chairs in which the back-rest and the leg-rest or frame are rendered adjustable to the desired inclination to givecomfort and ease to the occupant of the chair; and the object of the invention is to improve the mechanism whereby this adjustment may be easily and readily accomplished by the person in the chair and also increasing the strength and durability thereof, whereby a perfect and serviceable chair is provided capable of ready manipulation by the occupant to bring the back and leg rest to the angle required to insure comfort.

The invention consists in an adjustable reclining chair constructed substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention. showing the back-rest and the leg-rest extended to an angle nearly horizontal to the seat; Fig. 2, a side elevation, showing the back-rest and leg-rest adjusted to nearly an upright position; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional elevation through the seat and toothed gearing, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, the operating-shaft being shown in elevation; Fig. 4, a sectional elevation taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a sectional elevation taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing the rack-bar and pinion in elevation; Fig. 6, a transverse section of the U-shaped bar, taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the chair-seat, and B the back-rest, and C the leg-rest, which is provided with a suitable foot-rest D, all of which may be of any The chair-seat is supported upon asuitable frame, as indicated at E, said frame being constructed of angle-iron and comprising the legs a, braces 7), and the seat-braces c, suitably connected to the under side thereof, thus forming a perfectly strong and durable support for the seat at comparatively little expense. The seat-braces c, which extend upon the under side thereof, and the back legs may be made from one and the same piece or made separately and afterward connected together, either construction being left to the discretion of the manufacturer, and the seat-frame may be changed in the detail of construction and angle iron or other form of material and either steel or wood may be used, as found most desirable, the construction of the frame of the seat to support the same being open to many changes or modifications without departing from the essential features of the invention.

The legs a have horizontal feet (Z, each having two holes cf, one of which is to fasten the frame to the floor when desired or to connect casters thereto, as preferred.

The back B of the chair has connected to its sides angle-iron braces g, the projecting ends it being suitably pivoted at 2' to the rear ends of the seat-braces c, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The arms F of the chair have connected to the under side thereof suitable angle-braces j, the rear ends of said braces being pivotally connected to the braces g of the back B, as shown at it.

The leg-rest C and foot-rest D, which are at an obtuse angle to each other, are connected to a firm and rigid brace G, which brace is preferably of angle-iron bent to conform to the angle that the leg and foot rests assume to each other.

The braces Gr, to which the under side of the leg and foot rests are connected, have upwardly-extending arms Z, the lower portion of the arms just above the upper edge of the leg-rest D being pivoted at m to the seatbraces c, and the upper extremity or ends of the arms are pivoted to the front ends of the arm-braces j.

The several metal braces hereinbefore described are constructed of sufficiently thin material to combine lightness with strength, and the metal forming the arms Z, the projecting ends 72/ of the braces g, and the rear ends of the braces j are U shape in form, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, so as to allow suffieient space between the sides thereof to form springs on the rivet or pivot pins in i a 0, as shown in one instance in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

It is preferred that thin washers be used where a pivot connection in made, such as washers 7), (shown in Fig. i of the drawings,) or the pivot connections may be made in any suitable and well-known manner that will best serve the object sought.

Pivoted guide-sleeves H are secured to suitable brackets or hangers q, one upon each side of the chair seat and projecting from the braces j, and engaging these guide-sleeves are rack-bars I, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of suitable pinions J, keyed or otherwise rigidly secured upon the ends of a transverse shaft K, extending under the seat of the chair, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

Upon one end of the transverse shaft K is a hand-wheel L or other suitable means for conveniently turning said shaft by the occupant while in the chair, whereby the chairback and leg-rest are adjusted to the angle found most desirable. The hand-wheel L is held upon the end of the shaft K by means of a hand-nut M, the threads thereof engaging the screw-threaded end of the shaft, as shown at 9, each end of the shaft being similarly screw-threaded, so that a suitable nut N may engage the opposite end, said shaft being fiatsided, as shown at s, so that the pinions J and the hand-wheel will not revolve thereon. The hand-wheel can be placed upon either end of the transverse shaft to adapt the chair to a right or left hand person, or two hand-wheels may be used, one on each end of the shaft. this being left discretionary with the manufacturer of the chair, and it is evident that many changes and modifications may be made in the several details of construction and still keep within the limits of my invention.

The guide-sleeve H being pivoted or similarly connected to the bracket or hanger q enables said sleeve to move with the radial motion of the rack-bar K and at the same time materially adding strength and rigidity to the bar and preventing it from moving laterally and insure it at all times meshing with the teeth of the pinion J. The guide-sleeve also serves as a covering for the rack-bar, especiall y that portion above the chair-seat, so that the teeth of the bar will not be exposed to come in contact with the clothing of the person in the chair, and the teeth extend just far enough so as to act as a stop to limit the adjustment of the chair-back and leg-rest up and down.

The chair can be placed in any position either for reclining or sitting up without the necessity of the person removing from the chair or using more than one hand in the adjustment of the back-rest and the leg-rest, and in case of the patient or person having a broken arm or afliicted with any disease on one or the other side of the body the handwheel may be placed upon the side of the chair necessary in such a case. After the chair has been adjusted as desired it is held in its adjusted position by turning the thumb-nut M in the proper direction, which will force the face or end of the hub t of the hand-wheel L tightly against the face of the bracket or hanger q, and by frictional contact of the parts the seat-back and leg-rest will be held securely in their adjusted position.

The rack-bars extending forward to the front end of the arms of the chair give increased strength to the carrying capacity of the chair and act as braces at the point of downward pressure, and consequently sustain greater weight.

It is evident that many changes or modifications of the general construction of the chair may be resorted to and still come within the spirit of my invention, this being accomplished as circumstances would require.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

An adjustable and reclining chair comprising a suitable seat and a frame for supporting the same, a back pivotally connecting with the seat, arm-rests pivotally connecting with the back, leg and foot rests pivotally connecting with the seat and pivotally connecting with the forward ends of the arm-rests, brackets or hangers projecting from the seat, guidesleeves pivotally connecting with the brackets or hangers, rack-bars engaging the guidesleeves and pivotally connecting with the front ends of the arm-rests, a transverse rotatable shaft with pinions thereon to engage the rack-bars, means for operating the shaft and means for holding it against rotation, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLPH ,J. NUSS.

Vitnesses:

H. L. DoREY, JNO. F. LAEDLEIN 

